XXIV Conference of International SAMBO Federation

The regular XXIV Conference of International SAMBO Federation was held on a Belarusian holiday, the seventh day of November, on the eve of World SAMBO Championship in Minsk in the building of the Yubileynaia hotel.

At the beginning of the session the participants of the Conference listened to the report of Vasily Shestakov, President of FIAS, wherein the President told in brief about the work performed by the Federation in 2011-2012.

The point of the report was basically the main issue, the Candidate Book of FIAS, submitted recently to the International Olympic Committee. The history of FIAS and SAMBO was stated in details, all the main directions of development of this single combat were described, the strategic project of development of the Federation was represented and different sides of SAMBO promotion in the world today were highlighted in the Book.

It the data from this book that will be considered by the members of the IOC Executive Committee who will take a decision on possible temporary IOC membership of FIAS in December.

The President of FIAS focused the attention of all the delegates on necessity of level increase of holding the SAMBO competitions in his report. Even now a lot is being done in this direction, there is progress represented in many innovations, from doping tests of the sportsmen to the services of the press rendered by mass media at the competitions. All that, including operation of the television, information system of providing the competitions, entertainment and many others appeared now in modern SAMBO but as we know there is no limit to perfection.

The character of the International SAMBO Federation is also changing, new modern corporate style was developed specially for FIAS, a renewed website of the International SAMBO Federation which provides news about SAMBO online every day in 4 languages was also started.

The next issue of the Conference was unanimous vote of the delegates for joining of the Turkey SAMBO Federation to the FIAS members as well as for joining of the World Association of Mixed Martial Arts as an associate FIAS member.

Andrey Kliamko, First Vice-President of FIAS, reported on the finances, the budgets for passed 2012 and coming 2013 in particular, thoroughly and substantially. The First Vice-President of FIAS told about establishment of the budget and finance committee of FIAS that will be ready to consider all the applications for material assistance from the Continental SAMBO Federations.

Sergey Eliseev, Vice-President of FIAS, President of European SAMBO Federation told the participants of the Conference about the FIAS competitions calendar for 2013-2016.

There will be some innovations as well. Starting from 2013 all the A category Tournaments will have the high rank of World Cups. Next year one of the World Cups will be held in Morocco, it will be Open Championship of Africa. Moreover holding of the World Championship among cadets once a year in even years is planned which perhaps will be combined with the World Championship among students.

The Conference is over and tomorrow weight-in of the first participants of the XXXVI World SAMBO Championship is started who each and all without exception dream to become World Champions. And all the delegates of the FIAS Conference held in Minsk dream that SAMBO would become Olympic sport.

Dreams should come true!

Natalia Yukhareva, www.sambo.sport